Nrusimha Saraswathy Charitra--Part 1--Guru Parampara

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Dear Datta Hridayas, My Namaskaras to all and subramanyamji! Sri Subramanyamji has requested me to give many postings in this group. Though I own this group, I have been keeping quiet and letting Subramanyamji take on the work of Datta but now that he has requested enough, and I have decided to actively participate in my own group just like my Srividya Group Rajarajeshwari_Kalpataru. The first post will concentrate on Nrusimha Saraswathy the greatest saint in the Datta-saint pantheon. His Jayanthi is coming up this 22nd so I am starting my postings starting with Him. ---I seek my Gurunatha's, My divine mother's,Subramanyamji's and Lord Dattatreya's blessings. Iam unable to coin my feelings here----------------- नरसिहसरस्वती Shri Narasimha Saraswati (Nrusimha

Saraswati) is considered the second Avatar of Shri Dattatreya. The only way we know about his life is through the remarkable and most influential book in Marathi literature, Sri Guru Charitra written by Shri Saraswathi Gangadhar, one of the most talented poet and philosopher ever known in Marathi literature. Shri Narasimha Saraswati, The Second avatar of Shri Dattatreya Shri Narasimha Saraswati (henceforth referred as Shri Guru) is considered as the incarnation of Shri Shripada Shrivallabha who lived in Kurvapur. Shri Narasimha Saraswati is considered as a powerful Guru by the Datta-Sampradaya people. His life story as given in Srui Guru Charitra is read and followed by hundreds of thousands of devotees.

(Swaprakashananda Datta Athiavarna Avadhutha--attained samadhi in 2002) I still remember when I was just in my first standard before I could even read sentences properly,my father made me read Sri Charitra, and then used to take me to Anakapalli to His Datta Avadhutha Guru Swaprakashanandaji(who is now no more and has gone into samadhi). He used to say in Telugu to me "Baladattudu koorchuni Dattudu gurunchi chaduvuthunnadaa?"(Is Baladatta(referring to me) reading about Lord Dattatreya?" I used to reply back innocently "Ledhu Dattudu kaadhu nursimha

swamy(i used to mispronounce nrusimha swamy as nursimha)"( no not datta but nrusimha swamy...i was then reading about nrusimha's chapter when I met him) He just laughed out aloud and said "Alage!"(See picture supra for Swaprakashanandaji) Nirguna Padukasthalam of Nrusimha Saraswathy in Narsobachiwadi,Sangli district Maharashtra. Nrusimha Saraswathy's original name was Narahari or Shalgramdev that was kept at the beginning. His father's name is Madhav and mother's name is Amba-Bhavani. They lived at Karanjapur which is modern

Lad-Karanja in Maharashtra. His surname was Kale.He was born in a Deshastha Brahmin family. Audumbara Tree in Narsobachiwada--Audumbara(fig tree or medi chettu in Telugu and Atthi tree in Tamil and Malayalam) At Lad-Karanja there is still the original house where he was born. Although the house is no longer in the original shape, but still some parts remain and have been converted in to a temple. The study of his life and life events have put his time to be from 1378AD to 1458AD when he took Samadhi in Kardali-van (Jungle of Kardali trees). The only documented source of his life is considered to be Sri Guru Charitra. The writer of this book did not have direct contact with Shri Guru, but possibly had the original Sanskrit version of the Guru-charitra in front of him written by one of the four disciples of Shri Guru. The disciple is Shri Siddha. The whole book is written as a conversation between a disciple Namdharak and Siddha. Shri Narasimha Saraswati comes from the tradition of Shringeri Mutt. Jagatguru Shri Adi Shankaracharya also comes from this same tradition. The guru-lineage is as follows: Shankar - Vishnu - Bramha - Vasishtha - Parashar - Vyas - Shuka - Gaudpadacharya - Govindacharya - Shankaracharya - Vishwarupacharya - Nityabodhghanacharya - Dnyanaghanacharya - Dnyanamottamacharya - Dnyanagiri - Simhagiri - Ishwartirtha - Narasimhatirtha - Vidyatirtha - Vidyaranya - Vidyatirthasaraswati - Malayanandasaraswati - Devatirtha Saraswati - Yadavendra Saraswati - Krishna Saraswati -Narasimha Saraswati. Shri Vidyaranyasaraswati ( 1295-1386) was the head of the Shringeri math from 1380 to 1386.

Although there are several names in between Shri Narasimha Saraswati and him, one must remember that it is not necessary that the subsequent successors to the Shringeri Peetham(throne) were young, as the age of the disciple could be more than his guru. Vidyaranya Swamy In fact Shri Sayamdev and his son Nagnath (forefathers of Shri Saraswathy Gangadhar) both were disciples of Shri Narasimha Saraswati contemporaneously. Shri Narasimha Saraswati's love of music

possibly comes as a tradition from Shri Vidyaranya to Shri Narasimha Saraswati. Shri Vidyaranya was very fond of music. To be continued.... At His holy feet, I lie.... Yours in Dattatreya-Unmatta-Ananda! Shreeram Balijepalli

 

 

 

Purity, Powers, Parabrahmam...

 

 

 

 

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